Controlling Windows 7 from the Command Line

1. Controlling Windows 7 from the Command Line Ch 13

2. Administrator Command Prompt • Start, CMD, Enter • Normal (low-privilege) Command Prompt • Start, CMD, Shift+Ctrl+Enter • Administrator Command Prompt

3. SET • Displays Environment Variables

4. Navigation • CD • Shows the current working directory • CD foo • Changes the working directory to foo • CD .. • Moves to the parent of the current working directory • D: • Changes the working drive to D:

5. Tab Completion • To refer to a file or folder in the current directory, type the first one or more letters and press Tab • If you see the wrong name, keep pressing Tab

6. Delete • DEL foo • Deletes file foo • Does not put it in the recycle bin!

7. External and Internal Commands • External commands exist as separate files • Chkdsk • Defrag • Xcopy • Internal commands are part of the CMD shell • DIR • CD • CLS

8. Running Internal Commands • Two methods • Type command at a Command Prompt • Use CMD to launch the command • CMD /C IPCONFIG /RENEW • Runs IPCONFIG /RENEW and then closes the Command Prompt window • CMD /K IPCONFIG /RENEW • Runs IPCONFIG /RENEW and leaves the Command Prompt window open

9. Running External Commands • Three methods • Type command at a Command Prompt • Use CMD to launch the command • Launch command from Windows Explorer with the GUI

10. Demo: CMD Commands in the Run Box • Logo+R opens the Run box

11. Working with Long Filenames • Use quotes around the names • Copy "Fiscal Year 2009.doc" "Fiscal Year 2010.doc" • Copy path from Windows Explorer and paste into the Command Prompt window • Add frequently used folders to the PATH environment variable

12. Editing the PATH from the Command Line • SET PATH • Shows current value of all environment variables starting with PATH • SET PATH=string • Sets PATH to string (don't use quotes around string) \ • SET PATH=%PATH%string • Appends string to PATH

13. Editing the PATH from the GUI • Start, right-click Computer, Properties, Advanced System Settings, on the Advanced tab, click the "Environment Variables" button.

14. Copy-and-Paste in the Command Prompt • Right-click, MARK • Drag through text with left mouse button down • Enter to copy it • Paste into Notepad to remove line breaks

15. DOSKEY • Up-arrow • Recalls previous command in buffer • Down-arrow • Recall next command in the buffer • F8 • Recall a command that begins with the characters you typed

16. F7 Displays Entire Command Buffer

17. Multiple Commands on a Single Line • Use && characters between them

18. Editing Command Lines • Left arrow or Right arrow • Move one character to the left or right • Ctrl+Left arrow or Ctrl+Right arrow • Move one word to the left or right • Home • Move to start of line • End • Move to end of line

19. Output Redirection • Standard Input: Keyboard • Standard Output: Monitor • DIR > foo • Puts a directory into a file named foo, emptying any previous contents of foo • DIR >> foo • Appends a directory to a file named foo, after any previous contents of foo

20. Input Redirection • DATE • Waits for user input • DATE < enter.txt • Gets the input from then file enter.txt instead • This makes it possible to automate tasks that are written to expect keyboard input

21. Piping Commands • Use the | character (Shift+Backslash) to "pipe" the output from one command into another command • IPCONFIG | MORE • This prevents IPCONFIG from scrolling off the screen before you can read it • DIR | SORT • Sorts a directory by date

22. Echo and Pipe • You can use Echo to pipe a response into a command that would otherwise be interactive • ECHO. | TIME • Sends "Enter" to the TIME command

23. Echo and Output Redirection ECHO "Hi" Displays "Hi" on the standard output (console) ECHO "Hi" > foo Puts "Hi" into file foo, emptying it first ECHO "Hi" >> foo Appends "Hi" to the end of foo

24. Batch File Basics

25. Simple Batch File Use Notepad to make a text file containing command-line commands Saved with a filename ending in .bat Normally every command is echoed as it executes

26. Preventing Command Echoes • @ECHO OFF • Stops command echoes

27. PAUSE • PAUSE waits for the user to press a key • User can press Ctrl+C to stop the batch file

28. Parameters • When you execute a batch file, you can add up to nine parameters after the batch file name • They are referenced in the script as %1, %2, etc.

29. FOR Looping • FOR %%parameter in (set) DO command • parameter can be any single letter • set lists the choices, separated by spaces, commas, or semicolons • Command can be any command, often including %%parameter

30. FOR Example

31. GOTO: Jumping to a Line in a Batch File • :Label • Labels a line • GOTO Label • Goes to that line

32. IF: Making Decisions • IF condition command • condition evaluates to yes or no

33. Working with the Command-Line Tools

34. Disk Management • CHKDSK Checks a volume for errors • CONVERT Converts a FAT volume to NTFS • DEFRAG Defragments a volume • DISKPART Manages disk partitions • FORMAT Formats a volume

35. File and Folder Management • ATTRIB Displays or changes attributes • CD Changes working directory • COPY Copies a file or folder • DEL Deletes a file or folder • DIR Directory listing • FIND Finds a string in a file • MKDIR Makes a folder • MOVE Moves a file or folder

36. File and Folder Management • REN Renames a file or folder • RMDIR Deletes a folder • SORT Sorts a file and displays the results • WHERE Finds a file • XCOPY Copies a file, has more options than COPY

37. System Management Tools • BCDEDIT Configure Boot Manager • DATE Display or set system date • REG Read or write to the Registry • SHUTDOWN Shut down the computer • SYSTEMINFO Display system information • TIME Display or set system time • WHOAMI Information about current user • WMIC Windows Management Instrumentation

38. Command Line Kung Fu • A weblog from experts in the Windows, Linux, and OS X command-line (link Ch 13a) • Very interesting tricks • Finding large files (#4) • Using WMIC to find installed patches (#16) • Ping sweep from the command line with a FOR loop (#6)